ASI120mm Help please

[zakkhogan]

i bought the asi120 mm yesterday and its seems to glitch. I have uploaded a image show my issues

one issue is i cant seem to get the camera to caputre anyfast than 30fps and the other issue is that i keep getting lines coming up over the image

if anyone can help id be greatfull

[zakkhogan]

here are my system specifications if it helps

Specifications Processor AMD A6-3410MX Quad Core (1.6GHz, 4MB Cache, Up to 2.3GHz in Boost Mode)
Screen 15.6" (1366 x 768 HD Resolution)
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
RAM 6GB (DDR3)
Hard Drive 500GB
Optical Drive DVD Rewriter (Records DVDs 8x & CDs 24x & Dual Layer Super Multi)
Graphics Integrated (Integrated Graphics)
Wireless LAN Wireless (802.11b/g/n Wireless)
Network Card 10/100/1000 Gigabit Fast Ethernet
Integrated Webcam Integrated Webcam
Card Reader 4-in-1 card reader (MS, MS Pro, MMC, SD)
USB Ports 3x USB 2.0 ports
Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0
Speakers Integrated Sound System
VGA Port 1 External VGA Port
Kensington Lock Kensington lock slot
Charge Time 2.5 Hours
HDMI Port 1x HDMI Port
Keyboard Type Laptop Keyboard
Warranty 12 Months Samsung Collect & Return Warranty (View More Information)
Battery Life 3-4 Hours (up to 4 hours with power management)
Weight 2-3 Kg (This Model 2.5 Kg)
Product Type Notebook

[JamesF]

I had what appears to be a similar problem with getting the ASI cameras to work with the Linux capture application I'm writing.  Sam@ZWO suggested that it was related to a USB bandwidth problem and I could turn down a control called "USB bandwidth overload".  I did so and the image stabilised.  If SharpCap exposes that control somewhere then it might be worth a try.  Alternatively give FireCapture a whirl (download the beta, then "check for updates" in the application itself).  I've done full frame capture from the ASI120MM with FireCapture, though I have to admit that I can't recall what the frame rate was at the time.

I can't tell if you're running at full resolution though it does look like it.  By my calculations full frame at 30fps is about 35MB/s raw data.  Add in the overheads and anything else that happens to be on the USB bus and you're probably not left with much headroom before you reach the theoretical maximum throughput for USB2 which I think is 45MB/s.  I'd therefore not expect to get much more than 30fps at 1280x960 (I think ZWO say 35fps, but that's probably in an optimal configuration).

James

[zakkhogan]

Thanks james,

the frame rate doesnt change when i change the resolution just offers the same 4 options.

how do i change the usb overload?

[JamesF]

Unfortunately I don't know if SharpCap allows you to, or how it handles that.  I've never used it with the ASI cameras.  I'm just aware that the control exists in the ASI SDK and that perhaps SharpCap might expose it somewhere.  To be honest I'm not even clear what it actually does.  I just know that in my Linux capture application I have to set it almost to the minimum to avoid effects such as the one you're seeing.

Robin (the SharpCap author) might pop up with some ideas.  I know he's an occasional reader of SGL.

I'd suggest giving FireCapture a try if you just can't get SharpCap sorted or you need it to work right now.  But you do need the very latest beta for reliable support for the ASI cameras.

James

[zakkhogan]

Thanks James, I downloaded Firecap..  couldnt understand it, so i checkout sharpcap for updates..  (i was using an old version)

run the update, saw the USB turbo option, and seem to be working perfectly. Altho it dosent give me the option to pick the FPS but i can see at different resolution its capturing well over 50fps and also the horizontal lines have gone.

Thanks for your help

[JamesF]

FireCapture is a bit overwhelming to start with, but the online manual is pretty good.

if you've got it working with SharpCap now though, that's exellent.

James

[knobby]

How you getting on with that snazzy new cam Craig?